Montgomery County Sheriff's deputies investigating the death of a Waugh area man have classified the case a homicide, the first for the agency this year.

Sheriff Derrick Cunningham said Thursday morning that an autopsy of 37-year-old Labrandon Tatum revealed that foul play was involved. Previously, the sheriff's office had said foul play was suspected, but couldn't be confirmed until an autopsy was completed.

Tatum's case is the first homicide case for deputy investigators this year, Cunningham said. Added to Montgomery police's homicide case list, Tatum's death was the 28th case across the county. Latricia McDade was the county's latest homicide victim, bringing that number to 29.

Cunningham declined to say how Tatum was killed for fear it would jeopardize the investigation and taint interviews.

Tatum was discovered dead Sept. 19 after an acquaintance was unable to contact him by phone. The man told deputies he went to a shuttered business at the corner of Highway 80 and Marler Road and found Tatum dead inside. Col. Jon Briggs said at the scene that it appeared Tatum owned the former business and building.